a blog to accompany www.yasminlebon.net

Hashtag Legend

In their first fashion shoot together since 2001, Yasmin and Simon are featured on the cover of the April issue of Hong Kong-based magazine #Legend, with several additional pages and an interview together inside. Some tidbits from the interview, which you can read in full on #Legend‘s website:

Simon: “I think things are very stable at the moment in music. It seems quite institutionalised, with the success of stuff like The Voice, The X Factor and Pop Idol. The scope for rebellion is really big now. There’s a lot for young people to kick against. I think we’re due for a big, big musical rebellion right now. And I’m looking forward to it. I won’t be part of it, but I’ll definitely watch it.”

Why we will never see him as a judge on The Voice: “I don’t want to be part of the establishment. It feels like giving in. I also think it chips away at your credibility with your fans and your ability to be free and honest. It’s a taint. It’s money. It’s tainted money and it’s not good for artists.”

Yasmin, on her favorite Duran song, which changes constantly and are “never singles”: “I’m very lucky. I’m never alone: when I’m missing Simon, I’ve got his voice always.”

Do they use Skype when they’re travelling? Yasmin says that she was hesitant at first, because, as she said, “When you really are away from somebody, you have to protect yourself a little bit, distance yourself a tiny bit, kind of steel yourself for that time away. Otherwise you become very, very emotional.” When they tried it for the first time, “I remember him being far, far away and he decided that he was going to put the camera on. He put the camera on – and burst into tears. And I said: ‘Right, that’s it. That’s exactly what I knew was going to happen.'”

Simon talks about his commitment to Blue Marine Foundation, a cause to which Yasmin is also devoted: “We’re becoming more and more aware now of how much the seas have been overfished. Have you ever had a holiday in the Mediterranean? The kids say they don’t want to go swimming because there are too many jellyfish in the water. That is a direct result of over-fishing, because a lot of the animals that feed on the jellyfish larvae, mainly tuna and turtles, have ended up on tables. The rate at which the seas are being cleared of life is unsustainable. We will end up with a jellyfish-infested toilet to swim in.”

Does petrol-head Yasmin own any classic cars? “I don’t. I have them all in my head, thank you very much, which means they’re fantastic on maintenance, servicing and storing. I buy a lot of magazines that I have to say the family are getting really sick of. I’ve become like the crazy old lady with magazines.”

Why Simon is not a fan of Kindles: “I prefer paper books because when you finish it, you can give it to someone. You can’t do that with a Kindle. Also, when you read a book that’s made out of paper, you leave a trail. You’ve got a thumbed page, a smudge on it, or a coffee ring. I think there’s something very human about it.”